The Hate U Give, written by Angie Thomas, follows the protagonist, Starr, as she fights for her beliefs and struggles with the consequences. Starr is an African American girl who lives in Garden Heights, and urban area, but goes to Williamson, an suburban school. Starr exists in two different worlds, divided by race, and she feels like two different versions of herself.

In the beginning of the novel, Starr is at a Garden Heights party with her longtime friend Khalil. A fight breaks out and Starr and Khalil leave quickly, but while driving, a police officer pulls them over, and Khalil is shot and killed when the officer misreads his reaching back into the car.

The rest of the novel follows Staff through through the process of grieving, finding her voice, and ultimately becoming an advocate for social justice reform. There are many great things about this book, starting with the fact that it is so real and doesn’t soften the fact of racism in the world. It also shows the grief process and may allow others to heal from similar traumatic event. Everyone should read this stunning piece of work, especially before the author visits Kalamazoo on April 17.